MAKE | Twitchie scorpion – HOW TO – Make a robotic scorpion

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I made this scorpion toy with a Twitchie Robot Kit. I’m really afraid of scorpions where I live in Arizona, so I thought a friendly toy would help me get used to them. I made his plush body from some fabric I had around, aiming to make him look like an Arizona bark scorpion, which are tan/yellowish/translucent. Watch the video for build details, and here’s a list of materials I used:

Twitchie Robot Kit
3 pieces of scrap wood
1 drywall screw for non-driven front leg
hot glue
fabric for plush body
plush stuffing
thread & embroidery floss

Twitchie is Arduino powered and comes pre-programmed, so it’s an excellent kit for beginners in robotics, because no programming is required! You can download and modify the code if you want, and it’s pretty light on the soldering, too. I’d recommend Twitchie for young makers (boys & girls, too!) interested in robotics or moving plush toys. If you have an idea for what I should name my new friend, let me know in the comments! All I’ve come up with so far is “Scott.”

Music in the video is “At the Crack of Noon” by Shuutobi.

Twitchie Robot Kit

More build photos:

5 Responses to Twitchie scorpion – HOW TO – Make a robotic scorpion

Cobwebs on November 25th, 2008 at 10:14 am said:

He’s adorable!

How about “Klaus” or “Lothar?”

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scorpions_(band))

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yachris on November 25th, 2008 at 10:24 am said:

Any chance you could remix the sound on the video? The music is way too loud — I kept having to dive for the volume knob. Thanks!

Nice construction, great crafting of the body, but as a confirmed scorpion-o-phobe I still don’t see the point

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Becky Stern on November 25th, 2008 at 12:06 pm said:

@yachris I swapped the video out for a one with a *hopefully* more volume-friendly experience. =]

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Sean Ragan on November 25th, 2008 at 1:31 pm said:

My vote is for “Gilgamesh.”

Seriously, this is a way cool use for Twitchie. Plushification is a great way to deal with anxieties. Witness plush microbes and plush chestbursters and Dread Plush Cthulhu. I’d like to see plush global warming or a plush dirty bomb. Perhaps plush VX gas.

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Matt Mets on November 25th, 2008 at 3:41 pm said:

Its cute ! I like the direction you are taking with your work.

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